STOCKHOLM: WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

1) YOU CAN LEAVE YOUR CASH AT HOME

In Sweden, card, not cash, is king. Many places do not take cash at all, so be prepared! Hopefully you already have a credit card that offers no international fees. If not, more and more cards are offering this perk now, so consider opening a new one just for travel.

2) FIKA IS A PRIORITY

Wait, you don’t drink coffee? You do now! Fika is a big part of the Swedish culture. Every day take a break over coffee and dessert with your friends or colleagues. By the way, the desserts in Sweden, they are superb! I thought I already had a sweet tooth in the US, but this takes it to a new level.

3) IT’S SUPER EXPENSIVE…

You probably already know this, but just in case I want to offer a fair warning. Lunch will start around $12 USD without drinks, and dinner is more like $17+. I never went out for cocktails despite the trendy bar windows. If you normally don’t keep a budget during your trips (I may be guilty of this), consider keeping one whilst in Sweden. Pro tip: Order from a Kebap place for dinner, have muesli with yogurt for breakfast, and try anything from the Strommingsvagnen food truck to help keep costs down.

4) SWEDES ARE NOT ACTUALLY RUDE

Just because no one makes eye contact or smiles or says “excuse me” as they pass you in the street, doesn’t mean they aren’t kind. Swedes are incredibly helpful and cheery if you engage with them, but it’s generally considered polite to keep to yourself. If you have a question or want to strike up a friendly hello, don’t hesitate! You’ll probably receive the same in return.

5) VEGETARIANS AND VEGANS WILL FLOURISH

Stockholm is very vegetarian and vegan friendly. Many restaurants and cafes either included vegan options, or were completely vegetarian/ vegan friendly. Maybe you don’t eat vegetables only but, perhaps your best friend does. Now you have a travel destination to bring them to!

6) EVERYTHING DOES COME FROM IKEA

Everyone shops at IKEA, including locals (I stayed at an AirBNB that verified this) to hostels to Old Town restaurants in buildings that have been around for hundreds of years. If someone at home makes fun of you for having IKEA furniture, just tell them to visit Stockholm. Everyone there will tell you it’s a great choice. (This is how I justify my current apartment..)

7) MOST SWEDES SPEAK ENGLISH

Yes, in general you can speak English freely, but try to greet people with “Hej!” (Pronounced “hey”) or “Hej! Hej!” when you can. It’s considerate to use a country’s language whenever possible. Fortunately 90% of the population does speak English, so chances are anyone you talk to will be easy to communicate with.

8) DON’T SHOP ON SUNDAYS

You may be disappointed. Many stores are closed on Sundays, depending on where you’re staying. Typically shopping hours in Sweden are between 9:00am -4pm on weekdays, and 9:00am- 2:00pm on Saturdays. In Stockholm, more stores and cafes will remain open, but not all. I made the mistake of visiting Sigtuna, Sweden’s oldest town, on a Sunday, and the main street was a ghost town. Just be aware that Sunday isn’t always the best.

9) PLAN OUT YOUR ALCOHOL PURCHASES

Like to drink? Like to drink cheaply, i.e. Buy your own wine, liquor, or beer, and drink at home? Alcohol above 3.5% can only be purchased from Systembolaget in Sweden. It’s open Monday-Saturday, and closes at 7pm, so be strategic! Tip: If you go to a grocery store and find mini bottles of “vodka essence,” know this is definitely NOT real alcohol. It’s supposed to add flavor to your alcohol. I learned this the hard way

10) BUY BUS AND METRO TICKETS IN ADVANCE

This will help you save money, unless you’re paying for a ride on the Arlanda Express to or from the Stockholm Airport (about $30!!!). You can download the SL app to pay for your rides as you go, or buy a pass at the transit station, which will cost significantly less. They sell them as 24 hour or 72 hour passes, and they are good for the busses and ferries as well. Note for busses: You cannot purchase a ticket on the bus. You must have a prepaid card to scan, or a ticket on your SL app.

And #11) The bloody Mary’s aren’t very good. Just kidding. I wasn’t happy with the one I ordered, but it was probably just the restaurant, which shall remain nameless.

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25 Comments

I’ve always wondered about #6!! My mother works for IKEA in the USA and she is Swedish so it’s always been a part of our lives but I didn’t know if that was about as Swedish as pizza is Italian or vice versa. Good to know!

Really great and accurate advice! I’m a Canadian expat living 3 hours north of Stockholm, so I visit the city quite often. I still find it pretty crazy how cash-free the nation is. In many other countries, it’s only possible to pay in cash in many places.

Thanks, Ania! It’s good to know that someone who visits frequently agrees with my observations. I did research ahead of time so I knew not to worry about getting any Kronors out. My friends on the other hand had a hard time getting rid of all their cash 🙂

Stockholm was one of the last places I went to on my trip of Europe two years ago and I would recommend it to anyone! It is expensive but pretty similar to going out to dinner in Australia or a nice restaurant in Canada. I found that the best way to beat this was by making my lunch at home and eating it at one of Stockholm’s breathtaking green spaces along the water.

Sara, that’s awesome! You’re right about the prices. They are similar to eating out at a nice place in San Francisco (where I live close to) but I still find it easier to find cheap places out here. I definitely want to go back to Stockholm! It sounds like warmer is better. During the winter it wasn’t as enticing to picnic, but I’ll definitely do it during a warmer month!

I had no idea you can’t pay cash in most places! In Germany, where I live, it’s exactly the opposite! Thanks for posting this, I love learning about new destinations and getting city break inspiration 🙂

I’m off to Stockholm in July, should be awesome. Was expecting you to mention that it’s expensive! Hopefully not too much more than Sydney though. Will be sure to try those mouth watering sweets over a fika!

Hi Viviane, how exciting that you are gong in July! I’d love to see Stockholm in the summer. Winter was lovely, but just so cold and dark. I did n my post that Stockholm is very expensive. I was warned ahead of time, but still felt shocked by some of the prices when I got there!

Most of these informations were pretty new to me. I had no idea that card was better accepted than cash! This actually can be pretty bad depending on where you are from. In my country for example we don’t have cards that offers no international fee, so you will probably come back home broke lol It is definitely a really expensive country, but must be beautiful specially in the winter!

These are very useful tips like many things being closed on Sunday and greet people with ‘hej’. My aunt is from Sweden and I’ve had it on my bucket list for awhile. I just need to go already! Pinning this for that eventual trip.

I have never visited Stockholm, but I have heard many great things about it. However, I had no idea shops would not take cash. WOW! Great tip! and closing on Sunday is a usual custom in Europe which kinda draw me crazy, as I would go somewhere for a weekend trip